Rennie Scaysbrook | May 1, 2022
Sunday
MotoGP
It was the showdown that had been building all weekend: Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia vs Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo. After a weekend of speed from both at the 2022 Spanish MotoGP, Jerez was the place as the pair were in a class of their own to pull out ten seconds on the rest. In the end, Bagnaia held on for an emotional first win of the year, with Quartararo forced to settle for second but taking an outright points lead in the World Championship, only 0.285 off the win.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) broke clear of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) in the final laps to take third, and in doing so brings to an end Aprilia’s MotoGP concessions after six years.
2022 Spanish MotoGP Results
1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
|
2 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.285 |
3 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 10.977 |
4 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 12.676 |
5 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 12.957 |
6 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 13.934 |
7 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 14.929 |
8 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 18.436 |
9 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
+ 18.830 |
10 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 20.056 |
Moto2
One day after taking his first Moto2 pole position, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura became a grand prix winner in some style with a brilliant ride at Jerez. The Japanese rider led all 23 laps around the Circuit de Jerez-Angel Nieto but his was not the only performance deserving of high praise. Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) had broken his left radius and a finger on his right hand just a week ago in Portugal, but clenched his teeth to finish second, ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team).
Fourth went to Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and fifth to Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), while World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) finished sixth.
Cameron Beaubier (American Racing Team) retired with mechanical problems and teammate Sean Dylan Kelly finished 22nd.
2022 Spanish Moto2 Results
1 |
Ai Ogura |
(Kal) |
|
2 |
Aron Canet |
(Kal) |
+ 2.509 |
3 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Kal) |
+ 3.669 |
4 |
Augusto Fernandez |
(Kal) |
+ 5.358 |
5 |
Marcel Schrötter |
(Kal) |
+ 9.245 |
8 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+ 14.064 |
22 |
Sean Dylan Kelly |
(Kal) |
+ 56.157 |
DNF |
Cameron Beaubier |
(Kal) |
|
Moto3
Jerez has seen some classic moments down the years but there’s never been a last lap move quite like Izan Guevara’s. The Gaviota GASGAS Aspar man rolled around the outside of World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) for only his second Grand Prix victory after a thrilling Moto3 fight. Garcia stretched out his title lead with a third consecutive podium and Masia muscled out Öncü at the last corner for the final podium place.
2022 Spanish Moto3 Results
1 |
Izan Guevara |
(GasGas) |
22 laps |
2 |
Sergio Garcia |
(GasGas) |
+ 0.061 |
3 |
Jaume Masia |
(KTM) |
+ 0.208 |
4 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
+ 0.319 |
5 |
Xavier Artigas |
(CFMoto) |
+ 0.417 |
2022 Spanish MotoGP News—Saturday
Fernandez ruled unfit
Raul Fernandez’s unhappy start to life as a MotoGP rider continued at Jerez, as the Spaniard was ruled out of his home GP due to an injury to his right hand sustained in qualifying for the previous week’s race in Portugal. The 21-year old failed a fitness test on Thursday, and was unable to do the required press-ups in front of doctors.
“A crazy and stupid crash in Portugal,” he said of the previous fall. “It’s been really difficult. It’s really a disaster, but it’s just the first part of the season. I didn’t expect such strange situations,” said last year’s Moto2 runner-up, who won an incredible eight races.
Privately, a division has begun to form between the rider, and team and manufacturer. An insider has described a stroppy figure who acts as though he would rather be somewhere else. Despite signing a contract with KTM last year to step up to MotoGP in 2022, Fernandez continued to flirt with Yamaha and appears to have his sights fixed elsewhere for 2023. The Austrian factory has little interest in holding him against his wishes any longer, and Yamaha remains a possible destination in ’23.
Jorge Lorenzo A Legend
At a track where there is a corner named after him, Jorge Lorenzo was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame, becoming the 34th rider to become a MotoGP Legend. The Majorcan amassed three premier class title as well as two 250cc crowns across a career which also saw 68 victories and 152 podiums.
Most impressively of all, he defeated fellow greats Casey Stoner, Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa in epic title fights in the premier class in 2010, 2012 and 2015.
And it all started at Jerez, the scene of his debut in 2002. “I arrived here 20 years ago at this track to make my debut and I was still 14 on Friday,” said Lorenzo of that weekend. “I went to watch at a few corners with a scooter and I saw the likes of (Lucio) Cecchinello, (Dani) Pedrosa, (Manuel) Poggiali all riding so aggressively and so fast that I was wondering if someday I could arrive at that level. I’m very proud, as all MotoGP Legends are great Champions, but not all Champions can be named as Legends.”
MotoGP becoming more difficult to overtake?
As Jack Miller reflected on the crash that ended his (and Joan Mir’s) Portuguese GP the previous week, he offered a view that many have shared in 2022 – that it’s more difficult to overtake now in the premier class than ever before.
“I think it’s just the competitiveness of the class with everyone,” said the Australian. “I think all the bikes have their strong and weak points. You have to approach each bike with a different strategy.” Luca Marini shared Miller’s view. “It’s just now the speed of every bike is unbelievable. The tires are really good. now there is not a big wear, you can ride from the first lap to the last in the same way. Also if you stay in the slipstream, the front tire pressure rises.”
But Pecco Bagnaia disagreed, pointing to his and Alex Rins’ combative performances in the previous race. “In Argentina I started 13th, I finished 5th. Last race I had the luck that some riders crashed, but I overtook (many). Also Rins started last and finished 4th. It depends. If you are fast, I think you can be in the good position to have a good overtake.”
Saturday
MotoGP
History has been made at Jerez after Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) set a new all-time lap record of 1:36.170 in Q2 at the 2022 Spanish MotoGP. In the hotly-anticipated showdown between Bagnaia and the Jerez master Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), it went the way of the Italian as he denied the World Champion a fifth straight pole position in Andalucia. A late charge from Aprilia Racing’s Aleix Espagaro saw him snatch the final front row spot as his confidence continues to grow in 2022.
Jack Miller will fancy his chances of jumping on the Jerez podium again on Sunday, despite dropping back down to the head of the second row. The Australian will be joined there by Marc Marquez and the fastest man in Q1: Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing). The Frenchman left it late in Q1 and was then the final man to come across the line in Q2. Thankfully for him, he saved his best until last again by jumping up two places to sixth.
2022 Spanish MotoGP Results—Q2
1 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
1:36.170 |
2 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.453 |
3 |
Aleix Espargaro |
(Apr) |
+ 0.763 |
4 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 0.879 |
5 |
Marc Marquez |
(Hon) |
+ 0.975 |
6 |
Johann Zarco |
(Duc) |
+ 1.050 |
7 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 1.084 |
8 |
Marco Bezzecchi |
(Duc) |
+ 1.115 |
9 |
Joan Mir |
(Suz) |
+ 1.160 |
10 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
+ 1.356 |
Moto2
Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura came out on top in an ultra-tight Q2 session for the Moto2 class at Jerez. It is the Japanese rider’s first pole position in the intermediate class, and he will share the front row on Sunday with Elf Marc VDS Racing Team duo Tony Arbolino and Sam Lowes.
2022 Spanish Moto2 Results—Q2
1 |
Ai Ogura |
(Kal) |
1:41.289 |
2 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Kal) |
+ 0.010 |
3 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 0.032 |
4 |
Aron Canet |
(Kal) |
+ 0.080 |
5 |
Fermin Aldeguer |
(Bos) |
+ 0.331 |
14 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+ 0.811 |
25 |
Cameron Beaubier |
(Kal) |
+ 0.898 (Q1) |
29 |
Sean Dylan Kelly |
(Kal) |
+1.814 (Q1) |
Moto3
It was a dream Saturday for the Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team as Izan Guevara and Sergio Garcia clinched pole position and second on the grid at Jerez. The Mallorcan jumped ahead of his teammate in the closing stages of Q2 for only a second career pole position after he grabbed his first at the season-opener in Qatar. Garcia was forced to settle for second, with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jaume Masia leaving it late for the final front row spot.
2022 Spanish Moto2 Results—Q2
1 |
Izan Guevara |
(GasGas) |
1:45.880 |
2 |
Sergio Garcia |
(GasGas) |
+ 0.124 |
3 |
Jaume Masia |
(KTM) |
+ 0.171 |
4 |
Dennis Foggia |
(Hon) |
+ 0.290 |
5 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
+ 0.334 |
2022 Spanish MotoGP News—Friday
Aleix and Marc: A Love Story
After Aleix Espargaro lamented the combative riding of Alex Marquez in the early laps of the Portuguese GP, he took aim at older brother Marc on day one at Jerez. The Aprilia man was incandescent after his compatriot slowed to a near standstill to get a tow at the close of FP2.
“He was stopping in the middle of the back straight, waiting for me for one minute,” Espargaro said. “Unbelievable! I say go, go, go. And he doesn’t care. He looks behind. It’s just unbelievable. I will not blame him, but I will blame the people on race direction. He can do whatever he wants and no one says to him.
“This is why I get mad, because he doesn’t give you 2 seconds and then he catches you. He goes touching your exhaust, you can hear him all the time and I can’t be focussed on my line.”
Marquez’s retort? “He needs to be proud we are looking for his slipstream!”
Honda seeking solutions
One reason Marquez was seeking a tow was Honda continues to push to find solutions for its 2022 RC213V. The Portuguese GP was a sobering weekend, in which the eight-time’s post-race mood was beyond pessimistic.
And he delivered a frank assessment of his current predicament on Thursday. “It’s a bike that in big circuits it’s working really well like we saw in pre-season in Malaysia and then in Qatar. But as soon as we arrive at a small circuit and you need to turn in a short time, that is where we struggle a lot.”
As engineers designed the new machine to take advantage of the grip from Michelin’s rear tire, Honda’s riders have to run wider, sweeping lines as the turning capabilities of the RC213V are reduced. That means its most ferocious weapon– front end stability under heavy braking, then quick turning when the rider has pivoted the front, mid-turn – has been blunted.
HRC test rider Stefan Bradl is present as a wildcard and was running a revised exhaust all weekend. Marquez also continued to try a new swingarm that was used in Austin.
Zarco and JMB together again
Johann Zarco confirmed he has started working with Jean Michele Bayle again as he seeks gains in his preparation. The double Moto2 world champion had previously worked with the Motocross and Supercross legend during his doomed spell with KTM in 2019, before parting ways midseason.
But the pair are working together again, with Bayle offering his compatriot pointers on training and riding technique away from the track. “By helping me and my coach to also confirm if the physical training is good or not, if I can push more in the physical,” said Zarco, currently riding to maintain a seat within Ducati next year.
“On the physical side he gave also some help and we could share what is good or not and then on the last few years for the motorcycle training I was always alone, doing my laps, trying to find some exercises but all on my own. Now we do different things. It’s good because he has a good eye, knowing also what is at the high level. So we are able to control well.”
Friday
MotoGP
Reigning Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) is the rider to beat so far at the 2022 Spanish MotoGP at Jerez. The Championship leader pulled two tenths clear on Friday to hold off the hard-charging Ducati trio of Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman finding a late 1:37.071 in FP2 to sit top of the pile despite a crash earlier in the day.
Behind the Quartararo-Ducati caravan in the top four it was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) who ended Friday as top Honda in fifth. It was close though, the Japanese rider edging out Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by just 0.004, and the gap didn’t get much bigger thereafter either, with Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro in seventh and only another 0.005 off.
Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was eighth and the only rider in the top ten from FP1’s top three, and Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales finished Friday in ninth. 2021 winner Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is currently the last set to move through, the Australian in P10 on Day 1.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, suffered two crashes. The first off was at Turn 6, before quickly picking up the bike and rejoining. Whilst heading back to the pitlane, however, the eight-time World Champion was cruising off the racing line at Turn 9 and touched a damp patch that remained from Thursday’s rain.
2022 Spanish MotoGP Results—Friday
1 |
Fabio Quartararo |
(Yam) |
1:37.071 |
2 |
Enea Bastianini |
(Duc) |
+ 0.201 |
3 |
Francesco Bagnaia |
(Duc) |
+ 0.212 |
4 |
Jorge Martin |
(Duc) |
+ 0.297 |
5 |
Takaaki Nakagami |
(Hon) |
+ 0.510 |
6 |
Brad Binder |
(KTM) |
+ 0.514 |
7 |
Pol Espargaro |
(Hon) |
+ 0.519 |
8 |
Alex Rins |
(Suz) |
+ 0.655 |
9 |
Maverick Viñales |
(Apr) |
+ 0.688 |
10 |
Jack Miller |
(Duc) |
+ 0.691 |
Moto2
Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team’s Jake Dixon completed a Day 1 clean sweep at the 2022 Spanish MotoGP in the Moto2 class after topping both FP1 and FP2 to sit over two tenths clear of second-place Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The British rider’s 1:41.646 was three tenths faster than he went on Friday morning too, with Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) slotting into third and 0.363s shy of Dixon’s pace.
2022 Spanish Moto2 Results—Friday
1 |
Jake Dixon |
(Kal) |
1:41.646 |
2 |
Augusto Fernandez |
(Kal) |
+ 0.252 |
3 |
Ai Ogura |
(Kal) |
+ 0.363 |
4 |
Sam Lowes |
(Kal) |
+ 0.426 |
5 |
Tony Arbolino |
(Kal) |
+ 0.427 |
8 |
Joe Roberts |
(Kal) |
+ 0.556 |
11 |
Cameron Beaubier |
(Kal) |
+ 0.632 |
27 |
Sean Dylan Kelly |
(Kal) |
+ 2.051 |
Moto3
Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) is top of the pile after Day 1 at the 2022 Spanish MotoGP in the Moto3 class, with the home hero setting an impressive 1:46.341 halfway through FP2 and remaining unchallenged. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) was second quickest, just less than a tenth and a half off, with fellow Portugal podium finisher Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
2022 Spanish Moto3 Results—Friday
1 |
Izan Guevara |
(GasGas) |
1:46.341 |
2 |
Ayumu Sasaki |
(Hus) |
+ 0.132 |
3 |
Jaume Masia |
(KTM) |
+ 0.192 |
4 |
Carlos Tatay |
(CFMOTO) |
+ 0.326 |
5 |
Deniz Öncü |
(KTM) |
+ 0.397 |
For more MotoGP news and results, click here